Bill Delahunt: “And the rest of the world, in terms of their dollars representing their taxpayers, insisted on a loan. It is only the…”

“And the rest of the world, in terms of their dollars representing their taxpayers, insisted on a loan. It is only the United States of America that provided a gift, not a loan, but a gift, to the interim Iraqi government to begin the process of reconstruction. Now, again, I think we all share the view that there is a responsibility on the part of the United States to assist. But why a gift? Why a giveaway? And the President said that if we made it a loan, he would veto it. So, clearly, the Republican majority here managed to secure enough votes, both here and in the Senate, to make a gift rather than insist on collateral. Remember the Under Secretary of Defense, Paul Wolfowitz, when he promised the American people that the cost of the reconstruction of Iraq would be paid for with Iraqi resources based on their huge oil reserves? Does the gentleman remember that?”